Contrary to popular belief that urban encroachment is depleting forests, timberland is actually increasing in Alabama. The state now has a record-high 23 million acres of timber, putting it third in the country behind Georgia and Oregon, according to a new report by the Alabama Forestry Commission. Since 2000, timber volume has grown 18 percent, and now accounts for 69 percent of the state’s total area.
Tallapoosa County features 393,491 acres of timberland, according to 2014 Alabama Forestry Commission reports. To show how big the timber industry has grown in Tallapoosa County, in a period from 2001 to 2014, the Alabama Forestry Commission reports that 833,709 tons were harvested here, including 623,135 tons of pines and softwoods and 210,574 tons of hardwoods.
Meanwhile, the rate of replacing harvested timber continues to outpace cutting, with every ton of timber harvested replaced by 1.55 tons of new growth. “The annualized inventory of Alabama’s forests continues to show all the benefits we derive from our vast forests – wood products, clean water, clean air, wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities – can be managed in a sustainable way,” said State Forester Greg Pate. “The fact more land is being put into timberland is icing on the cake.”
Another myth is Alabama is overrun with pine trees. But the ratio of pines to hardwoods is about equal, with 9.9 million acres of pines and 9.8 million in hardwoods. A mixture of hardwood and softwood trees account for 3.2 million acres.
Locally, pines still make up a majority of the timberland with 180,358 acres planted in softwoods alone. Stats show that Tallapoosa County has 68,086 acres growing a combination pines and hardwoods and 145,046 acres are classified as strictly hardwood forests.
From the Alex City Outlook: https://www.alexcityoutlook.com/2015/07/06/timber-industry-booming-in-state-and-tallapoosa-county/